Impacts of COVID-19 and Recent Protests and Social Unrest on Atlanta Businesses

Representatives of the National Main Street Center and commercial districts participating in the Atlanta Main Street Fellowship are seeking information from Atlanta small business owners about the challenges they’re facing as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency and recent events related to social injustice and police reforms. Please answer these questions as openly and honestly as you can.

Your feedback is important to us, and we would like to ask you to take 10-15 minutes to answer up to 34 questions and complete this online survey. Individual responses to the survey will be kept anonymous and confidential and are being gathered and analyzed by the National Main Street Center.

Your answers will help us understand the challenges you are facing; communicate those challenges to policymakers, community development practitioners, and philanthropic entities; and identify potential solutions for supporting your business and a successful recovery from the recent crises.

We are running another survey concurrently for neighborhood residents and consumers. If you would like to fill out that survey as well as or instead of this small business owner survey, you can view the resident/consumer survey here - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/78N2R9M. If you would like to share these surveys with residents, consumers, or other business owners, please feel free to do so.

This survey will be open for participation until Monday, August 17th at 5pm ET. Participation in the survey has been extended until Friday, August 28th at 5pm ET.

BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICS

Question Title

* 1. Where is your business located?

Sweet Auburn

Westview

West End

East Atlanta

Other Area (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. What kind of business do you operate?

Food Service (i.e., restaurant, bar, café)

Grocery

Non-Food Retail

Nonprofit / Social Services

Health Practitioner / Healthcare

Accommodations (i.e,, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast)

Professional Services (i.e., banking, legal, design, real estate)

Personal Care (i.e., beauty/barbershop, nail salon)

Gym or fitness-focused business

Arts-focused business (i.e, art gallery or studio)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. How long has your business been in operation?

Less than a year

1-3 years

3-5 years

5-10 years

More than 10 years

Question Title

* 4. How would you characterize the ownership of the business? (Check all that apply)

Locally owned

Out-of-state ownership

Women owned

Black owned

Latinx owned

Asian owned

Publicly traded company

Cooperatively owned

Family owned

Veteran owned

LGBTQ owned

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Do you own or lease your business space?

Own

Lease

N/A - My business does not have a physical location

Question Title

* 6. Which of the following best describes your business’s location?

Storefront business on a commercial corridor

Storefront business on a primarily residential corridor

Business located in a commercial shopping center with a large parking lot

Business operating out of my home

Business operated out of an office space that does not a have a storefront

No physical location - Online only

Other type of location (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. How many staff does your business employ? (Please enter ‘1’ if solo owner-operator)

Question Title

* 8. What type of internet access do you have at your business? (Choose all that apply)

Dial-up internet service

Cable internet service

DSL internet service

Fiber internet service

Satellite-based internet service

Wireless hotspot internet service

Mobile data internet service through a smartphone

Have internet access but not sure what kind

I do not have any internet access at my business

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. How would you describe the quality of internet access at your business?

N/A - No internet access

Inadequate reliability and speed

Adequate reliability and speed

Good reliability and speed

Excellent reliability and speed

Question Title

* 10. Does your business have an online sales component?

Yes

Question Title

* 11. If your business has an online sales component, approximately what portion of your overall revenue comes from online sales?

0% or not applicable

1-25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

Question Title

* 12. Does your business offer any of the following services?

Goods or services available for delivery

Goods or services available for curbside pickup

Orders taken and processed over the phone

Orders taken and processed over the internet

None of the above services

Question Title

* 13. Over the course of an average week, how many clients or customers did your business work with prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis?

Question Title

* 14. How profitable was your business in the months prior to the crisis?

My business was losing money every month and rate of business was not improving

My business was losing money every month but the rate of business was improving

My business was not losing much money but was not generating much profit either

My business was generating a modest monthly profit

My business was generating a strong monthly profit

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON YOUR BUSINESS

Question Title

* 15. Which of the following statements best describes your business's current status? (Choose all that apply)

My business was never closed

My business closed due to COVID-19 but has since reopened

My business has not reopened because I am choosing to remain temporarily closed, though it is legally free to reopen

My business has not reopened because it is not legally free to reopen at present

My business has not reopened, and I am closing it permanently

My business has not reopened, and I am planning or considering selling it

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 16. It has been about 20 weeks since COVID-19 really began affecting the economy in early March. Of those 20 weeks, about how many weeks has your business been open and operating?

Question Title

* 17. What proportion of your employees, including yourself, are at risk of unemployment, reduced hours, and/or layoffs as a result of the novel coronavirus?

1 – 25%

26 – 50%

51 – 75%

76 – 100%

Question Title

* 18. How has revenue of your business changed since the novel coronavirus outbreak became a widespread concern in early March 2020?

My business has not generated any revenue since early March 2020

Revenue has decreased by more than 90%

Revenue has decreased by between 75 and 90%

Business has decreased by between 50 and 75%

Business has decreased by between 25 and 50%

Business has decreased by between 0 and 25%

Business has been normal

Business has increased by between 0 and 25%

Business has increased by between 25 and 50%

Business has increased by between 50 and 75%

Business has increased by between 75 and 90%

Business has increased by more than 90%

Question Title

* 19. If business disruption continues at the current rate, how soon will your business be at risk of closing permanently?

Less than one month

1-2 months

3-5 months

5+ months

Not a concern

Question Title

* 20. Did your business successfully apply for and receive any of the following federal relief dollars associated with COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Payroll Protection Program (PPP)

Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

Small Business Administration Debt Relief

Small Business Administration Express Business Loan

None of the above

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 21. How much support have you received from your business’s banking institution? (e.g., phone calls or letters offering support, support with loan applications, etc.)

None

A little

Some

A lot

BUSINESS RESPONSES TO CHALLENGES BROUGHT BY THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

Question Title

* 22. What changes related to personal protective equipment (PPE) have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

	Have made this change	Cannot make this change or not interested	Have not made this change but interested in trying it
All staff are required to wear face masks while in the business	All staff are required to wear face masks while in the business Have made this change	All staff are required to wear face masks while in the business Cannot make this change or not interested	All staff are required to wear face masks while in the business Have not made this change but interested in trying it
All staff are required to wear gloves while in the business	All staff are required to wear gloves while in the business Have made this change	All staff are required to wear gloves while in the business Cannot make this change or not interested	All staff are required to wear gloves while in the business Have not made this change but interested in trying it
All customers are required to wear face masks while in the business	All customers are required to wear face masks while in the business Have made this change	All customers are required to wear face masks while in the business Cannot make this change or not interested	All customers are required to wear face masks while in the business Have not made this change but interested in trying it
All customers are offered free single-use gloves upon entering the business	All customers are offered free single-use gloves upon entering the business Have made this change	All customers are offered free single-use gloves upon entering the business Cannot make this change or not interested	All customers are offered free single-use gloves upon entering the business Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Plexiglass barriers separate staff and patrons at checkout	Plexiglass barriers separate staff and patrons at checkout Have made this change	Plexiglass barriers separate staff and patrons at checkout Cannot make this change or not interested	Plexiglass barriers separate staff and patrons at checkout Have not made this change but interested in trying it

Question Title

* 23. What changes related to posted information and social distancing have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

	Have made this change	Cannot make this change or not interested	Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Posted notice outside on steps the business is taking to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus	Posted notice outside on steps the business is taking to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Have made this change	Posted notice outside on steps the business is taking to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Cannot make this change or not interested	Posted notice outside on steps the business is taking to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Menus, store inventory, and/or advertisements available online and outside the store to limit time required browsing while inside	Menus, store inventory, and/or advertisements available online and outside the store to limit time required browsing while inside Have made this change	Menus, store inventory, and/or advertisements available online and outside the store to limit time required browsing while inside Cannot make this change or not interested	Menus, store inventory, and/or advertisements available online and outside the store to limit time required browsing while inside Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Demarcations on the ground show six-foot gaps in places where customers queue up	Demarcations on the ground show six-foot gaps in places where customers queue up Have made this change	Demarcations on the ground show six-foot gaps in places where customers queue up Cannot make this change or not interested	Demarcations on the ground show six-foot gaps in places where customers queue up Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Strict limitations are set on the number of customers or diners in the space at the same time	Strict limitations are set on the number of customers or diners in the space at the same time Have made this change	Strict limitations are set on the number of customers or diners in the space at the same time Cannot make this change or not interested	Strict limitations are set on the number of customers or diners in the space at the same time Have not made this change but interested in trying it
More outdoor options for people visiting your business (e.g., sidewalk sales, outdoor dining, outdoor product pickup, etc.)	More outdoor options for people visiting your business (e.g., sidewalk sales, outdoor dining, outdoor product pickup, etc.) Have made this change	More outdoor options for people visiting your business (e.g., sidewalk sales, outdoor dining, outdoor product pickup, etc.) Cannot make this change or not interested	More outdoor options for people visiting your business (e.g., sidewalk sales, outdoor dining, outdoor product pickup, etc.) Have not made this change but interested in trying it

Question Title

* 24. What changes related to touch-free operations and hand sanitizing have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

	Have made this change	Cannot make this change or not interested	Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Offering touch free payment systems at checkout	Offering touch free payment systems at checkout Have made this change	Offering touch free payment systems at checkout Cannot make this change or not interested	Offering touch free payment systems at checkout Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Using touch free doors or open doors at entry and exit	Using touch free doors or open doors at entry and exit Have made this change	Using touch free doors or open doors at entry and exit Cannot make this change or not interested	Using touch free doors or open doors at entry and exit Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Hand sanitizer station at the entrance to the business	Hand sanitizer station at the entrance to the business Have made this change	Hand sanitizer station at the entrance to the business Cannot make this change or not interested	Hand sanitizer station at the entrance to the business Have not made this change but interested in trying it

Question Title

* 25. What changes related to delivery services, curbside pickup, or business offerings have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

	Have made this change	Cannot make this change or not interested	Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Delivery services for products / services	Delivery services for products / services Have made this change	Delivery services for products / services Cannot make this change or not interested	Delivery services for products / services Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Curbside pickup for products / services	Curbside pickup for products / services Have made this change	Curbside pickup for products / services Cannot make this change or not interested	Curbside pickup for products / services Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Shopping/ordering online with quick in-person pickup	Shopping/ordering online with quick in-person pickup Have made this change	Shopping/ordering online with quick in-person pickup Cannot make this change or not interested	Shopping/ordering online with quick in-person pickup Have not made this change but interested in trying it
Shopping/ordering over the phone with quick in-person pickup	Shopping/ordering over the phone with quick in-person pickup Have made this change	Shopping/ordering over the phone with quick in-person pickup Cannot make this change or not interested	Shopping/ordering over the phone with quick in-person pickup Have not made this change but interested in trying it

Other changes you've made to business practices in response to COVID-19

Question Title

* 26. What potential changes to business operations related to COVID-19 (including those listed above) are of greatest interest to you?

Question Title

* 27. What is holding you back from implementing these changes? (Select all that apply.)

Money required to implement the changes

Products aren’t readily available to implement the changes

I need person-to-person assistance implementing the changes

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 28. Thinking beyond the COVID-19 crisis, what would make your business resilient in the face of other challenges? How can your business model adapt to other crises?

IMPACTS OF RECENT PROTESTS FOCUSED ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND POLICE REFORM

Question Title

* 29. What impacts have recent protests focused on social justice and police reform had on your business? (Choose all that apply)

Change in hours of operation as a result of curfew or self-imposed closures

Prompted protective measures to your storefront (e.g, boarded up windows)

Diminished revenues due to closures or customers staying home

Increased revenues due to increased number of people in the area or people wanting to support your business

Led to greater community solidarity or sense of togetherness

Led to greater community division

Property damage

Stolen goods

My business was not impacted by the protests and unrest

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 30. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make immediately or have you already made?

Window replacement

Security enhancement

Painting

Other

None - I have not made any repairs and likely will not make repairs in immediate future.

N/A - My business did not experience any property damage

Question Title

* 31. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make in the next three to six months?

Window replacement

Painting

Tuckpointing

Other

None - I likely will not make repairs in the next three to six months

N/A - My business did not experience any property damage

Question Title

* 32. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make in the next six to 18 months?

Interior painting

Exterior painting

Tuckpointing

Roof replacement

Other

None - I likely will not make repairs in the next six to 18 months

N/A - My business did not experience any property damage

Question Title

* 33. How has your business responded to recent social injustices and calls for police reform? (e.g., business messaging, social media, engagement with protesters, different engagement with customers, etc.)

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS CONTEXT AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Impacts of COVID-19 and Recent Protests and Social Unrest on Atlanta Businesses

Question Title

* 1. Where is your business located?

Question Title

* 2. What kind of business do you operate?

Question Title

* 3. How long has your business been in operation?

Question Title

* 4. How would you characterize the ownership of the business? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 5. Do you own or lease your business space?

Question Title

* 6. Which of the following best describes your business’s location?

Question Title

* 7. How many staff does your business employ? (Please enter ‘1’ if solo owner-operator)

Question Title

* 8. What type of internet access do you have at your business? (Choose all that apply)

Question Title

* 9. How would you describe the quality of internet access at your business?

Question Title

* 10. Does your business have an online sales component?

Question Title

* 11. If your business has an online sales component, approximately what portion of your overall revenue comes from online sales?

Question Title

* 12. Does your business offer any of the following services?

Question Title

* 13. Over the course of an average week, how many clients or customers did your business work with prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis?

Question Title

* 14. How profitable was your business in the months prior to the crisis?

Question Title

* 15. Which of the following statements best describes your business's current status? (Choose all that apply)

Question Title

* 16. It has been about 20 weeks since COVID-19 really began affecting the economy in early March. Of those 20 weeks, about how many weeks has your business been open and operating?

Question Title

* 17. What proportion of your employees, including yourself, are at risk of unemployment, reduced hours, and/or layoffs as a result of the novel coronavirus?

Question Title

* 18. How has revenue of your business changed since the novel coronavirus outbreak became a widespread concern in early March 2020?

Question Title

* 19. If business disruption continues at the current rate, how soon will your business be at risk of closing permanently?

Question Title

* 20. Did your business successfully apply for and receive any of the following federal relief dollars associated with COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Question Title

* 21. How much support have you received from your business’s banking institution? (e.g., phone calls or letters offering support, support with loan applications, etc.)

Question Title

* 22. What changes related to personal protective equipment (PPE) have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

Question Title

* 23. What changes related to posted information and social distancing have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

Question Title

* 24. What changes related to touch-free operations and hand sanitizing have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

Question Title

* 25. What changes related to delivery services, curbside pickup, or business offerings have you made or considered making as you’ve adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery?

Question Title

* 26. What potential changes to business operations related to COVID-19 (including those listed above) are of greatest interest to you?

Question Title

* 27. What is holding you back from implementing these changes? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 28. Thinking beyond the COVID-19 crisis, what would make your business resilient in the face of other challenges? How can your business model adapt to other crises?

Question Title

* 29. What impacts have recent protests focused on social justice and police reform had on your business? (Choose all that apply)

Question Title

* 30. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make immediately or have you already made?

Question Title

* 31. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make in the next three to six months?

Question Title

* 32. If your business experienced property damage due to protests and civil unrest, what repairs do you expect you will make in the next six to 18 months?

Question Title

* 33. How has your business responded to recent social injustices and calls for police reform? (e.g., business messaging, social media, engagement with protesters, different engagement with customers, etc.)

Question Title

* 34. What is the name of your business? (optional)

Question Title

* 35. What is your preferred method of contact and contact information (please provide phone number, email address, facebook name, etc.) (optional)